Stropping-machine for razors.



APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1911.

Patented NOV. 28, 1911.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

witnessesz Wiines ses:

' A.'J. POSTANS.

STROPPING MACHINE FOR RAZORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1911.

1,010,070. Patented Nov. 28, 191 1.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' I Inventor:

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPN c0..wAsmNu'm 1 A. J. POSTANS. STROPPING MACHINE FOB. RAZOR-S.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 13, 1911. 1,010,070. Patented Nov. 28, 1911.;

a sums-sum a.

Witnesses;

- ay/W ARTHUR JAMES POSTANS, OF BRENTFORD, ENGLAND.

STROPPING-MACI-IINE FOR RAZOR-S.

emma.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR JAMES Pos- TANS, a subject of the King of England, residing at Brentford, Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stropping-h Iachines for Bazors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to stropping machines for razors, more especially of the safety type, and has particular reference to strops for circular blades, although some parts of the invention may be applied to strops for razors whose blades are of other shapes.

A. feature of this invention consists in a stropping machine that strops both sides of the blade simultaneously by means of stropping surfaces that travel in a direction transverse to the blade during the operation of the machine, combined with a device that automatically frees or withdraws the blade from between the stropping surfaces immediately the machine is driven in a direction contrary to that for stropping. For this purpose a movable support is employed for the blade and mechanism operatively connects the same with a driving part of the machine whereby the blade is brought into contact with the stropping surfaces when the machine is driven in one direction and is automatically withdrawn from the same when the direction of drive is reversed. Another way of effecting this result, and which is shown herein as employed in conjunction with the first, includes a resilient device which yieldingly supports the blade so that a reverse movement of the stropping members will permit such device to free the blade from the stropping members.

In carrying out the present invention the stropping members are so arranged that these members themselves during the stropping operation will automatically move the blade relatively to the stropping members so that every part of the edge is brought into stropping position in turn. More particularly in reference to circular blades, the stropping members are arranged so as to automatically rotate the blade during the stropping operation to thereby shift the stropping point along the edge of the blade.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stropping machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective View Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Application filed January 13, 1911. Serial No. 602,383.

of the same machine with the parts in a different position; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the machine showing the parts in a different position from that occupied by them in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is an elevation of part of the machine showing a modified arrangement of the stropping members.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The frame of the machine is made in the form of a clamp A having a jaw A and afiXing screw A The jaw A is made sufficiently large to take any ordinary mantelpiece or window-sill so that the machine can be quickly and firmly secured, in the room where it is required to be used. At the upper end of the clamp is a bracket 13 that provides a bearing B for a spindle C. The spindle carries at one end a stropping disk D and at the other end a crank-handle E. The stropping disk is conveniently of leather and is supported on one side by a toothed wheel D and on the other side by a metal disk D which members are fixed to the spindle C in any convenient manner. Carried on a screw stud F (Fig. 2) is a second stropping disk G. This is supported by a toothed wheel G on one side and by a metal disk G on the other side. The toothed wheels D G engage each other but the stropping disks D and G, which are each larger than their supporting wheels and disks do not lie in the same plane but are offset to occupy different parallel planes as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the disk G lying on the opposite side of the wheel G to that occupied by the disk D relatively to its wheel D Pivoted in any convenient manner to the clamp A about an axis Figs. 1 and 2, is an arm or support H. This arm has a socket H whose axis is disposed approximately radially to the axis at but inclines slightly away from the machine as shown in Fig. 2. At the side of the socket is a yieldingly controlled stud H The arm H has an ear or lug H that is slotted at H to receive a guide pin F formed on the end of the screw F. The lug H also carries a pin H which engages a projecting leaf J of an approximately triangular spring plate J. The plate J is held in place under the head of the screw F and bears against the wheel G with which it is thus kept in frictional engagement; the plate J is free to partially rotate with the wheel G the extent of such rotation being limited by the slot H The machine shown in the drawings is intended for stropping a circular blade K that has rigidly secured to it a stem or spigot K In operation the spigot of the blade is dropped into the socket H when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the handle is then rotated in the direction of the arrow. This causes both of the stropping disks to rotate, as they are geared with each other, and at the first movement the spring plate J is carried around with the wheel G of the stropping disk G and by means of its connection with the support H, through the medium of the pin H swings the support about its axis in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, until the left-hand end of the slot H Fig. 1, is brought against the pin F In this position the blade K is brought close in between the stropping disks D, G, which simultaneously engage both sides of the edge of the blade and move transversely across the same. The stropping disks D, G, however, are not set radially to the axis of the socket H but lie to one side of the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that they engage a portion of the blade K indicated in chain line in this figure, that is to one side of the central stem or spigot K The effect of this disposition of the parts is that as the disks rotate against the blade, they will have a wiping movement toward the edge of the blade along oblique or non-radial lines so that they will impart a rotary movement to it in the direction indicated by the arrows, Figs. 2 and 3. It thus follows that every part of the blade will be automatically brought around between the stropping disks. Directly the operator intentionally or otherwise turns the handle E in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, the plate J will be rotated backward by means of its frictional engagement with the wheel G and will carry with it the support H so that the blade K will be immediately withdrawn from between the disks D, G; in Fig. 1 the support is shown as moved back to its farthest limit.

It will be seen that the withdrawing movement of the blade and the backward movement of the stropping disk G are effected at substantially equal speeds so that the blade cannot cut the disk, but to further insure that no cutting shall take place through, say, a slight amount of back-lash, the yieldingly controlled stud H is employed, and is pressed outward by a coiled thrust spring (Fig. 1). Underneath the blade and surrounding the spigot K is a shoulder K that bears upon the stud H The spring supporting the stud is sufficiently strong to hold the blade up against gravity, but when the support H is swung forward to bring the blade into stropping position, the upper side of the blade is brought against the disk D and the combined operation of the rotating disks and forward movement of the support H, causes the blade and stud H to be driven down against the action of the spring controlling the stud until the under side of the edge of the blade is brought against the edge of the disk G. The blade then lies close in between the two disks as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and is stropped on both sides simultaneously, but directly a backward movement is given to the handle E the blade will begin to lift away from the disk G under the action of the yieldingly controlled stud H and at the same time will be withdrawn by the arm 11 as has been described.

If desired the stropping disks in addition to being set in offset relation and instead of being set in parallel planes may be set in planes at angles to each other as shown in Fig. 5, where the disk L is set obliquely to the disk L Also the wheels gearing the two disks together may be dispensed with, as shown in this figure, and the two disks made to bear against each other as well as against the edge of the blade, so that the disk L whose spindle carries the handle IE will drive the disk L by frictional engagement therewith at a point beyond that where they engage opposite sides of the blade. Two disks driven in engagement with each other in this man.- ner should be of the form shown in the drawings, in which beveled driving surfaces are provided inwardly from the stropping surfaces. The blade can be introduced between these disks and stropped in substantially the same manner as has already been described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping members rotatably mounted thereon in position to engage the opposite sides of a razor-blade held between them, a support for the razor-blade movably mounted on the frame to present the edge of the razor-blade between the stropping members or to retract it therefrom, driving means for the stropping members, and a device for connecting the movable support with a driven part of the mechanism to move the former with the latter in either direction of its movement, whereby the razor-blade will be moved to a stropping or non-stropping position according to the direction of drive.

2. In a stroppingmachine for razors the combination of a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a socket carried by the frame for freely receiving the perpendicular central stem of a razor blade, the socket being positioned relatively to the disks so as to present the edge of the blade between and in contact in stropping relation with the opposed stropping surfaces of the disks, and means for rotating both disks simultaneously, one of the disks being so set relatively to the socket as to wipe obliquely toward the edge of the blade when the disk is rotated to thereby impart a rotary shifting movement to the blade during the stropping operation, substantially as set forth.

3. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a socket carried by the frame to receive free in it a perpendicular central stem of a circular razor-blade the socket being so situated relatively to the disks that it can present the edge of the blade between and in contact with the edges of both disks simultaneously, and means for rotating both disks simultaneously, the disks being so set as to wipe obliquely toward the edge of the blade when the disks are rotated to thereby impart a rotary shifting movement to the blade in addition to and while stropping the edge thereof, substantially as set forth.

4. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a socket carried by the frame to receive free in it a perpendicular central stem of a circular razor-blade the socket being so situated relatively to the disks that it can present the edge of the blade between and in contact with the edges of both disks simultaneously, one of the disks being moreover situated with its plane approximately parallel to the stem of the blade but not radial thereto so that when rotated it wipes obliquely across the edge of the blade and imparts a rotary movement to the blade in addition to stropping the edge, and means for rotating both disks simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

5. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a socket carried by the frame to receive free in it a perpendicular central stem of a circular razor-blade the socket being so situated relatively to the disks that it can pre sent the edge of the blade between and in contact with the edges of both disks simultaneously, the disks being moreover set in different planes each of which is approximately parallel with but not radial to the stem of the blade so that when the disks are rotated they wipe obliquely across the edge of the blade and impart a rotary movement to the blade in addition to stropping the edge, and means for rotating both disks simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

6. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a holder for a blade pivoted to the frame and so disposed that it can be rocked forward to present the edge of a blade carried thereby between and in contact with the edges of both stropping disks simultaneously, or rocked away from the disks so that the edge may clear the same, means for rotating the disks, and a friction device operatively connecting a moving part of the mechanism with the holder to swing it back or forth according to the direction of drive, substantially as set forth.

7. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a holder for a blade pivoted to the frame and so disposed that it can be rocked forward to present the edge of a blade carried thereby between and in contact with the edges of both stropping disks simultaneously or rocked away from the disks so that the edge may clear the same, means for rotating both disks simultaneously in opposite directions, a spring friction-plate (J, J that bears against and can rotate a limited distance with one of the stropping disks, and means (H H operatively connecting this plate with the pivoted holder to swing the latter in one direction when the disks are rotated for stropping and in the opposite direction when their motion is reversed, substantially as set forth.

8. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a holder for a blade pivoted to the frame and so disposed that it can be rocked forward to present the edge of a blade carried thereby between and in contact with the edges of both stropping disks simultaneously or.

rocked away from the disks to clear the edge of the same, means for rotating the disks, a device for operatively connecting a driven part of the mechanism with the holder to swing it toward and away from the disks according to the direction of drive, and a yieldingly controlled stop on the holder that keeps the blade away from the holder when stropping is not proceeding, the holder and stop being so arranged relatively to the disks that when the holder is swung to bring the blade between the two disks the blade passes clear over the disk on one side of it but its other side is brought against the second disk whereupon the continued movement of the holder pushes the whole blade back against the yielding stop until its edge is brought between the two disks and in contact simultaneously with both of them, substantially as set forth.

9. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a socket pivoted to the frame to receive free in it a perpendicular central stem of a circular razor-blade the socket being so disposed on its pivot that it can be rocked forward to present the edge of a blade carried thereby between and in contact with the edges of both stropping disks simultaneously or rocked away from the disk to clear the edge of the same, means for rotating the disks, an over-running device operatively connecting a driven part of the mechanism with the pivoted socket to swing it back or forth according to the direction of drive, and a yielding stop on the socket that holds the blade away from the stem and yieldingly prevents the stem from moving endwise to its full limit in the socket, the socket and yielding stop being so disposed that when the former is moved forward one side of the blade passes clear over one of the disks but the other side is brought against the stropping edge of the second disk and, as the forward movement of the socket continues the blade is driven back against the action of the stop the stem being driven farther into the socket so that the blade can lie close against the two disks simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

10. In a stropping machine for razors the combination of, a frame, two opposed stropping disks rotatably mounted thereon, a

gear wheel concentric and having operatlve connection with one disk, a gear wheel concentric and having operative connection with the other disk and meshing with the first-mentioned gear wheel, the edge of one disk being toward the edge of the other but out of alinement therewith, a handle having operative connection with one of the disks, a socket pivoted to the frame to receive free in it a perpendicular central stem of a circular razor-blade the socket being so situated relatively to the disks that it can present the edge of the blade between and in contact with the edges of both disks simultaneously the disks being moreover set so that they do not lie in planes radial to the stem of the blade but are oblique to the radial position and thereby impart a rotary movement to the blade in addition to. stropping across the edge, and a friction device operatively connecting a moving part of the mechanism with the pivoted socket to swing it into and out of the stropping position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR JAMES POSTANS.

lVitnesses A. M. HAYWARD, HARRY W. Wmon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing-the Commissioner of Ratents, Washington, D. C. 

